Gratia's Trials — page 96: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

GRATIA’S TRIALS. 87 had looked upon it for the moment not as rose and lily, and pure curve of cheek and lip, but asa key wherewith to unlock the golden gates of success. ‘‘ Beauty has always swayed the world,” she murmured ; ‘‘and I—what can I not accomplish if I am true to myself and to the one object of my life?” There was a mournful worldliness in these thoughts, if one reflects that they surged through the bosom of a girl of sixteen ; but it must be borne in mind that Gratia Kempfield was older by far than her age in years. Self-dependence and trial had aged her in a proportion which figures can hardly express. Her first evening in society was brilliantly successful, not only from her grace, and beauty, and extreme youth, but from a sort of prestige which surrounded her ‘The mystery which envel- oped the antecedents of Colonel Hugo Falconer’s adopted child There was a something romantic and removed from the humdrum course of every-day events about the whole matter that made Gratia Kemp- field—-or Miss Falconer, as she was now called—an object of the warmest interest among the languid devotees of fashion, who — so seldom found anything to be enthusiastic about. Therefore, upon this, her dedu/, her ball-card was full, and her smiles courted by every one; and little Ida, whose bright face peeped in at the open window, was delighted to witness had given rise to all manner of vague rumors. her adopted sister's triumph. ‘‘Don’t she loook pretty, Louisette ?” she cried, to Alberta’s French maid, who attended her. ‘‘ Hasn’t she got the sweetest face in all the room? Aunt Alberta is pretty, too; but some- ~* how Aunt Alberta looks old and dried up beside Gratia.” «¢ You had better not let your aunt hear that opinion,’ curls. ‘‘Uncle Ralph!” she exclaimed—‘‘ you here ?” b said a voice behind her, and Ida felt Uncle Ralph’s hand upon her ‘‘And why not I as well as you, little Miss Curiosity?” he said, good-humoredly. boo “S (E(0) m